Toy tops



Jan. 7, 1958 M. 1. GLASS ET AL TOY TOPS Filed. June 8, 1954 ilnitedStates Patent Q TOY TOPS Marvin I Glass, Chicago, and Fred Zant, Skokie,lll.

Application June 8 1954,- Serial No. 435,298

3 Claims. (Cl. 46-69) This invention relates to a toy top and moreparticularly to a'top which may operate on water as well ason and.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a toy top which willspin in water, on sand and/ or any surface.

The toy tops of the prior art are made to spin on a fiat solid surfacebut they are not capable of spinning in water, hence their play value isrestricted. With this invention the play value of toy tops is not onlyincreased but is made more fascinating to the child in that it appearsthat a new phenomenon takes place which defies the law of physics.Heretofore the child could not spin his top in water and he acceptedthat fact and now with this invention he may do so with a top that issubstantially similar in appearance to those now on the market. Thisinvention provides a top which spins in water and hence may be spun inthe bathtub and on the beach, and spins for as long a time in water asthe present day tops spin on a flat solid surface.

Likewise, it may be spun on sand or on the ground. It can also spinwhile held in the hand. It therefore has universal application andunlimited play appeal.

Another object of this invention is to provide a top which is simple andinexpensive to manufacture and which is easy to operate and which inappearance appears similar to the conventional tops now on the market.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view taken on lines 11 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view taken on lines 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on lines 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a view taken on lines 44 of Fig. 3.

The toy comprises a hollow body generally formed of two sections 12 and14 secured together. The lower section 12 is dished, as shown, and has aplurality of spaced circumferential stepped portions progressivelytapering inward from the top to the bottom until it tapers to a spinningpoint indicated at 16. The inside of the spinning point is substantiallyconcave or V shape as at 18 and provides a bearing surface for the tipof the spindle of the spinner presently to be described.

The upper section 14 of the body is of substantially inverted dish shapewhich has a centrally positioned annular depressed portion or recess 20at the top thereof. The upper section has a circumferential lip 22 whichis permanently secured and locked in the channel 24 of the lower section12 to lock the two sections permanently together.

The top or spinner generally designated by the numeral 26 comprises aspindle 28, a disc 30 and an upper stem 32 projecting upwardly of thedisc. The spindle 28 extends through an opening 15 in the upper section12 of the body and is secured against removal by a lock washer 17 on thespindle. The end of the spindle has a tapered point 29, and rotateswithin the concave portion 18 of the lower section of the body. The disc30 is substan- Ice 2,818,675

Patented Jan. 7, was

tially of an inverted dish shape and extends over the top and downwardlyof the uppersection 14 of the body so as to completely cover same but isspacedtherefrom as to be freely rotatable with respect to the body. Theunderside of the rotatable disc 30 adjacent the spindle 28 has a centralannular body portion 34 which is positioned within the circumference ofthe annular recess 20 but spaced therefrom and spaced from the bottomthereof.

The upper stem 32' supports the windup member generally designated bythe numeral 36' as is well understood in the art and as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 3. The top of the spinner disc 30- is provided with theusual inclined recesses ando'penings which are engaged by the windupmember. The windup member and the manner of its engagement with the topof the spinner is conventional and well understood in the art but willbe briefly described. The top of the spinner has three circumferentialiyspaced inclined recesses 38, each of which is inclined to provide, adeep portion 39 which inclines upwardly as at 40. Also provided arethree circumferentially spaced openings 42'.

The conventional windup member designated by the numeral 36 has a spoolshaped body 44 provided with a central bore 46 within which is secured acoil spring 48. It is positioned on the stem 32. The lower end of thecoil spring is provided with a hooked end 50 which extends below thebottom of the spool and engages one of the holes 42 so that as thewindup member is rotated the coil spring 48 is tensioned. The windupmember has a spring biased plunger 52 which overrides the recesses 38when it is being wound up and permits rotation of the windup member inone direction but prevents rotation in the opposite direction.

The spinning disc may be provided with a plurality of spaced openings 54so that as it rotates with respect to the body 10 which may be coloredwith contrasting colors, a very interesting color effect is obtained.

The operation will now be described. With the windup member 36 on thestem 32, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the body 10 and spinner 26are held stationary with one hand. The windup member 36 is rotated totension the coil spring 48. After it has been tensioned, the windupmember is disengaged by pressing down on the stem 32 which releases thetoy. As it is released the spinner 26 is caused to spin with respect tothe body 10 at the same speed common to conventional tops. The spinningof the spinner 26 will also cause the body 10 to rotate but at a muchslower speed. Since the spinner rotates on the point 29 which is in thebody, the spinner rotates with respect to the body even when the body isheld stationary or its rotation is arrested. If desired the spinner maybe spun by hand without the use of the windup member.

The toy may be released to spin on water and the toy will float with thebody rotating slowly in the water while the spinner is rotating rapidly,giving the effect that the entire unit is rapidly spinning in the water.The spinning continues for several minutes. The body may be sealed toprevent the entrance of water or if desired, a number of openings 54 maybe provided in the top of the upper section 14 so that if water entersthe body 10 it can be discharged through said openings by inverting thetoy.

The toy may also be released to spin on a solid surface and the body 10will slowly rotate on the point 16 while the spinner 26 rotates rapidlyas heretofore described. Likewise it may operate in sand or any othersurface or may be held in the hand.

This toy provides an unusual top which has no limitations insofar aswhere it may be operated. It is fascinating and provides great playvalue for the child.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madefrom the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

We claim:

1. In a toy top adapted to operate on water as well as on land,including a hollow housing having a dish shaped completely closed lowersection with a spinning point at the lower end thereof and an uppersection rigidly secured to said lower section and forming the top ofsaid housing, and said housing forming a water tight floatingcompartment, a spinner including an inverted dish shaped member in closeproximity to the upper section of the housing and covering same to hidesame from view, said spinner having a spindle extending into saidhousing and rotatable inside the spinning point of said housing, saidspinner being rotatable with respect to said housing.

2. In a toy top adapted to operate on Water as well as on land,including a closed hollow housing forming a water tight floatingcompartment, said hollow housing having a dish shaped completely closedlower section with a spinning point at the lower end thereof forrotation on a land surface, a spinner including an inverted dish shapedmember in close proximity to the top of said closed hollow housing andcovering same to hide same from view, said spinner having a spindleextending into said housing and rotatable inside the spinning point of 4said housing so that said spinner is rotatable about said closed hollowhousing.

3. In a toy top adapted to operate on water as well as on land,including a closed hollow housing forming a water tight floatingcompartment, said housing having a dish shaped completely closed lowersection with a spinning point at the lower end thereof for rotation on aland surface, a spinner including an inverted dish shaped member inclose proximity to the top of said housing and covering same to hidesame from view, said spinner having a spindle extending into said closedhousing and rotatable inside the spinning point of said housing so thatsaid spinner is rotatable about said closed housing, and a windup memberreleasably secured to said spinner for actuating same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS814,962 Irving Mar. 13, 1906 1,401,813 Popper Dec. 27, 1921 1,522,189Jacovatos Jan. 6, 1925 2,177,873 Savage Oct. 31, 1939 2,456,341 ThoresonDec. 14, 1948

